Paranormal activity is an American Supernatural Horror Franchise consisting of eight films and additional media. The first film was released in 2007 and was directed by Oren Peli.
The franchise mainly focuses on Katie and Kristi Rey, two sisters who are haunted by a demon. The films document the family’s encounters with the demon and the sisters’ attempts to rid themselves of the demon.
The franchise has grossed over $890 million at the worldwide box office. After the first film’s release, Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to the franchise.
The films were generally well-received by audiences and critics alike. The first film was praised for its found footage style and its clever use of suspense. The second and third films were criticized for relying on jump scares and lacking originality.
The fourth and fifth films were met with mixed reviews, with some critics praising the return to the found footage style of the first film and others criticizing the films for their lack of scares.
The sixth and seventh films were panned by critics, with many calling them cash grabs and citing a decline in quality.
The Paranormal Activity series is based on the story of two sisters, Katie and Kristi, who are haunted by a demon. The films follow the sisters as they attempt to rid themselves of the demon and protect their family from its terror.
List of All Paranormal Activity Movies in Order of Release
- Paranormal Activity (2007)
- Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
- Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
- Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)
- Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
- Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)
- Paranormal Activity: Next Of Kin (2021)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Director: Oren Peli | Writer: Oren Peli | Stars: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, and Amber Armstrong | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 26 minutes. | Release Date: September 25, 2007, | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are horror and mystery. | Filming Locations: Bavarian Drive, Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego, California, USA | Production Companies: Paramount Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Solana Films | Budget: The budget for the movie was $15,000. | Box Office: The film grossed $193 million.
This movie was released on September 25, 2007. The events of this movie take place in 2006 and 2007. After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.
In an attempt to document the events, they install video cameras in and around their home, only to realize that there may be far more to this haunting than meets the eye.
The movie was directed by Oren Peli and written by Oren Peli. It starred Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, and Amber Armstrong. The movie grossed $107 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $15,000.
Micah and Katie shift to their new house in San Diego. Katie explains to Micah that a demon has haunted her since childhood.
At first, Micah does not believe her, but soon strange things start happening in their house. Micah sets up a camera in their bedroom to capture the paranormal activity on tape.
As the days go by, the paranormal activity increases and Katie becomes possessed by the demon. Micah tries to help her, but he is no match for the demon. Katie becomes more and more violent, and the demon starts to terrorize their whole neighborhood.
The family decides to call in a psychic medium, which helps them understand that the demon is attached to Katie and wants to harm their baby. They must find a way to get rid of the demon before it harms their baby.
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Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Director: Tod Williams | Writer: Michael R. Perry, Christopher Landon, Tom Pabst | Stars: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Molly Ephraim, and David Berend | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 31 minutes. | Release Date: October 22, 2010, | Language: The languages are English and Spanish. | Genres: The movie genres are horror and mystery. | Filming Locations: Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA | Production Companies: Paramount Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Solana Films | Budget: The budget for the movie was $15,000. | Box Office: The film grossed $193 million.
This movie was released on October 22, 2010. The events of this movie take place in 2009, and it is a sequel to the first film. After experiencing what they think are a series of “break-ins,” a family sets up security cameras around their home, only to realize that the events unfolding before them are more sinister than they appear.
The movie was directed by Tod Williams and written by Michael R. Perry, Christopher Landon, and Tom Pabst. It starred Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Molly Ephraim, and David Berend. The movie grossed $177 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $3 million.
Kristi (Katie’s elder sister) brings her newborn baby to live with her family. Julie (Katie and Kristi’s mother) installs security cameras around the house after a series of burglaries in their neighborhood.
Dennis (Kristi’s boyfriend and Katie’s stepfather) becomes increasingly suspicious of the activity going on in the house. He believes that there is a demonic presence in the house that is targeting their family.
As the family starts to experience more paranormal activity, they realize that the entity is trying to harm their baby. They must now find a way to protect their child from the evil force.
After looking at the security camera recordings, Kristi reveals that a demon spirit has haunted them both since they were little girls. The family decides to seek help from a Catholic priest, who performs an exorcism on Kristi.
However, the demon is too strong and takes over Kristi’s body during the exorcism. The family realizes that they are dealing with a powerful evil force and must find a way to defeat it before it harms their baby.
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman | Writer: Christopher Landon, Oren Peli | Stars: Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown, Christopher Nicholas Smith, Lauren Bittner | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 23 minutes. | Release Date: October 21, 2011, | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are horror and mystery. | Filming Locations: USA | Production Companies: Paramount Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Solana Films | Budget: The budget for the movie was $5 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $207 million.
This movie was released on October 21, 2011. The events of this movie take place in 1988, and it is a prequel to the first two films. Katie and Kristi are living with their mother, Julie, and her boyfriend, Dennis. They install security cameras to document the strange activity that has been happening in their house.
The family starts to experience paranormal activity, and they must deal with the demonic presence. The movie was directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman and written by Christopher Landon and Oren Peli.
It starred Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown, Christopher Nicholas Smith, and Lauren Bittner. The movie grossed $207 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $5 million.
This movie is a prequel to the second installment and tells the story of Kristi and Katie’s childhood. Kristi and Katie live with their mother, Julie, and her boyfriend, Dennis, who sets up cameras around the house after a break-in.
The family soon realizes that a demonic entity is haunting them. At night while Julie and Dennis are enjoying their company, the entity terrorizes Kristi and Katie.
After a series of frightening events, Dennis decides to capture the entity on tape and sets up a camera in Katie and Kristi’s room. The next day when Dennis and his friend Randy go to check the footage, they realize that the entity has been following them.
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman | Writer: Christopher Landon, Chad Feehan, Oren Peli | Stars: Stephen Dunham, Katie Featherston, Matt Shively, Brendon Eggertsen | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 28 minutes. | Release Date: October 19, 2012, | Language: The languages are English and Ukrainian. | Genres: The movie genres are horror and mystery. | Filming Locations: 23466 Hatteras Street, Los Angeles, California, USA | Production Companies: Paramount Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Solana Films | Budget: The budget for the movie was $5 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $142 million.
This movie was released on October 19, 2012. The events of this movie take place in 2011, and it is a sequel to the first three films. It has been five years since the disappearance of Katie and Hunter, and a suburban family experiences strange events in their neighborhood after a woman and a young boy move in next door.
A mysterious child’s supernaturally possessed doll turns the family’s life into a living nightmare. The movie was directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman and written by Christopher Landon, Chad Feehan, and Oren Peli.
It starred Stephen Dunham, Katie Featherston, Matt Shively, and Brendon Eggertsen. The movie grossed $142 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $5 million.
Alex Nelson lives with her family in Nevada. With her best friend Ben, Alex notices a kid named Robbie staring at her from the other side of the street. One day, Alex finds Robbie in her house, and he tells her that a demon is haunting him. Alex does not believe him at first, but soon strange things start happening in her house.
Ben sets up a camera in Alex’s room to capture the paranormal activity on tape. As the days go by, the demonic activity increases, and Robbie becomes more and more scared. Robbie and Alex’s younger brother Wyatt become friends, and Alex notices that Robbie and Wyatt are talking to Robbie’s invisible friend, Toby.
One night, Alex sees Robbie sleepwalking, and she follows him. Robbie leads her to an abandoned house, where she sees a black figure. The figure turns out to be the demon that is haunting Robbie.
The demon starts to haunt Alex and her family. It wants to take over Wyatt’s body so that it can have a human host. Alex and her family must find a way to get rid of the demon before it harms Wyatt.
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
Director: Christopher Landon | Writer: Oren Peli, Christopher Landon, Chad Feehan | Stars: Andrew Jacobs, Jorge Diaz, Gabrielle Walsh, Gloria Sandoval | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 24 minutes. | Release Date: January 3, 2014, | Language: The languages are English and Spanish. | Genres: The movie genres are horror and mystery. | Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA | Production Companies: Paramount Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Solana Films | Budget: The budget for the movie was $5 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $90 million.
This movie was released on January 3, 2014. The events of this movie take place in 2012 and 2013. Jesse begins investigating a strange noise in his apartment complex and discovers that his neighbor may be involved in something far more sinister than he could have imagined.
The movie was directed by Christopher Landon and written by Oren Peli, Christopher Landon, and Chad Feehan. It starred Andrew Jacobs, Jorge Diaz, Gabrielle Walsh, and Gloria Sandoval.
The movie grossed $90 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $5 million. Jesse, who lives in Oxnard, California, has recently graduated and celebrates with his family and best friend, Hector.
During the party, they notice their neighbor, Anna, acting strange. The next day, they find out that she has been taken to the hospital. She tells them that a demon is following her when they visit her.
Jesse and Hector do not believe her at first, but soon strange things start happening in their apartment complex. They set up a camera in Jesse’s room to capture the paranormal activity on tape.
As the days go by, the demonic activity increases and Anna becomes more and more scared. She tells Jesse and Hector that the demon is after her because she is marked.
The demon wants to take over her body so that it can have a human host. Jesse and Hector must find a way to get rid of the demon before it harms Anna.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)
Director: Gregory Plotkin | Writer: Jason Harry Pagan, Andrew Deutschman, Adam Robitel, Gavin Heffernan | Stars: Chris J. Murray, Brit Shaw, Ivy George, Dan Gill | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 29 minutes. | Release Date: October 23, 2015, | Language: The languages are English, German and Ukrainian. | Genres: The movie genres are horror and mystery. | Filming Locations: 10042 Claire Ave, Northbridge, California, USA | Production Companies: Paramount Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Solana Films | Budget: The budget for the movie was $10 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $78 million.
This movie was released on October 23, 2015. The events of this movie take place in 2014 and are set six days after the previous film’s events. Ryan returns home from college and finds that a demonic entity is terrorizing his family. He discovers that the only way to save his family is to capture the entity on videotape.
The movie was directed by Gregory Plotkin and written by Jason Harry Pagan, Andrew Deutschman, Adam Robitel, and Gavin Heffernan. It starred Chris J. Murray, Brit Shaw, Ivy George, and Dan Gill. The movie grossed $78 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $10 million.
With their daughter Leila, Mike(Leila’s uncle), and Skylar, Ryan, and Emily are living together in Santa Rosa, California.
One day, when Mike is going through some old boxes in the attic, he finds a box containing a camera. The camera had footage of Ryan and Emily’s daughter, Leila when she was a baby.
He also finds footage of another family that lived in the house before them. A demon was terrorizing the family. The demon is after Leila because she is marked. Ryan and Emily must find a way to get rid of the demon before it harms their daughter.
Further, the family starts to notice that Leila is performing mysterious Activities, and they believe that the demon possesses her. They must find a way to save her before it’s too late.
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Paranormal Activity: Next Of Kin (2021)
Director: William Eubank | Writer: Oren Peli, Christopher Landon | Stars: Emily Bader, Roland Buck III, Dan Lippert | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 38 minutes. | Release Date: October 29, 2021, | Language: The languages are English and German. | Genres: The movie genres are horror, mystery, and thriller. | Filming Locations: Buffalo Filmworks – 370 Babcock Street, Buffalo, New York, USA | Production Companies: Paramount Players, Blumhouse Productions, Room 101 | Budget: The budget for the movie was $5 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $12 million.
This movie was released on October 29, 2021. Margot, a young woman who her mother abandoned as a baby, travels to a secluded Amish community with a documentary film crew seeking answers about her mother and her own identity.
The movie was directed by William Eubank and written by Oren Peli and Christopher Landon. It starred Emily Bader, Roland Buck III, and Dan Lippert. The movie grossed $12 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $5 million.
Margot is a standard young adult with a dark past. As such, she takes advantage of the Internet to look into her ancestry and finds a lead on her father’s family in the small town of Somerset.
She packs up and leaves for the small town, only to find herself caught up in a demonic activity that has been plaguing the residents.
It turns out that Margot is next of kin to the demon and wants to take over her body so that it can have a human host. Margot must find a way to get rid of the demon before it harms her.
Together with her friends Chris and Dale, they set out to uncover her family’s secrets and end the demon activity.
Paranormal Activity Movies in Order By IMDB Rating
| Movies | Rating on IMDB |
|---|---|
| Paranormal Activity | 6.3/10 |
| Paranormal Activity 2 | 5.6/10 |
| Paranormal Activity 3 | 5.8/10 |
| Paranormal Activity 4 | 4.6/10 |
| Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones | 5.0/10 |
| Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension | 4.6/10 |
| Paranormal Activity: Next Of Kin | 5.2/10 |
Other Popular Horror Series Like Paranormal Activity
If you like Paranormal Activity movies, then you might also like some of these other popular horror series :
- The Conjuring Universe
- The Saw Franchise
- The Insidious Franchise
- A Quiet Place (Movie)
- The Purge Franchise
- Hush (Movie)
- Evil Dead Movies
FAQs
Are All of The Paranormal Activity Movies Part of The Same Series?
Yes, all Paranormal Activity movies are part of the same series. They all occur in different parts of the country and focus on different families, but they are all connected by the demon that haunts them.
What are the Paranormal Activity movies about?
The Paranormal Activity movies are about a demon that haunts different families in different parts of the country. The demon is after a specific family member in each family, and it is up to the other family members to save them.
What Is The Best Paranormal Activity Movie?
The best Paranormal Activity movie is subjective, as different people have different opinions. But, generally, the first movie is considered to be the best, as it is the most original and sets the tone for the rest of the movies.
Do The Paranormal Activity Movies Have Any Sequels?
Yes, the Paranormal Activity movies have sequels. In fact, there are seven movies in the franchise as of now, with the latest one being Paranormal Activity: Next Of Kin.
What Is The Scariest Paranormal Activity Movie?
The scariest Paranormal Activity movie is also subjective, as different people have different opinions. But, generally, the first movie is considered to be the scariest, as it is the most original and sets the tone for the rest of the movies.
Where can I watch Paranormal Activity Movies?
Right now, you can watch Paranormal Activity on Netflix or Amazon Prime. You can stream Paranormal Activity by renting or purchasing on Google Play or Amazon Instant Video.
Conclusion
Paranormal Activity Movie Series is one of the most popular horror movie franchises of all time. If you are a fan of horror movies, then you should watch all the Paranormal Activity movies.
Even if you are not a fan of horror movies, the Paranormal Activity movies are still worth watching, as they are very well made and suspenseful.
In this article, we have listed all the Paranormal Activity movies in order. We have also answered some of the most frequently asked questions about Paranormal Activity movies. So, if you want to know more about this franchise, this article is definitely for you!
I hope you enjoyed reading this article! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment down below! Thank you for reading!
Hey, My name is Charles Eames, I am a designer, filmmaker, and lover of photographic arts. And I usually write about movies, Famous/Influential People. I am running this blog with my girlfriend Bernice.